Beverage holder adapters for non-cylindrical, multi-sided food containers

ABSTRACT

Adapters are provided for stable holding of non-cylindrical multi-sided food containers in beverage container receptacles, and also packaged food products integrating such adapters.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to adapters for holding food containers with beverage container receptacles, especially non-cylindrical, multi-sided food containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many vehicles such as automobiles, vans, buses, boats, aircraft, and recreational vehicles, as well as stationary seating venues, such as in stadiums, arenas, theaters, lawn furniture, home leisure chairs, tables, and so forth, have built-in cup holders, i.e., receptacles sized for receipt and holding of beverage containers such as cups, cans and bottles

Typical beverage holders are relatively small in diameter and are configured to support cylindrical beverage containers. However, in addition to beverage containers, consumers also often desire to transport packaged food items which can be eaten directly from containers by hand without the need for serving plates/bowls and eating utensils, e.g., Kraft LUNCHABLES® ready-to-eat meals and snacks. Also, for example, many convenience restaurants and stores sell fried or baked chicken pieces or nachos, etc., which are packaged in a small hinged carton, or a tray having a removable cover. These food cartons and trays often have a rectangular bottom profile. Such trays and cartons generally do not have a size and/or shape allowing them to nest in a typical beverage container holder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides an adapter for stably supporting a food container, such as a non-cylindrical multi-sided food container or tray, over a beverage container receptacle defining a cylindrical shape-supporting cavity.

In one embodiment, the adapter comprises a disc-shaped self-supporting pedestal structure comprising bottom and top panels connected by an intermediate cylindrical structure comprising a plurality of elongate strip panels joined at longitudinal ends thereof. The top panel includes at least one flap foldable into an upright position, which is adapted to be attached to a groove provided in a bottom side of a food container. The pedestal structure is configured to have a cross-section suitable for nesting in a cylindrical shape-supporting cavity of a beverage receptacle. Attachment of the foldable flap to a food container groove and nesting of the adapter in a beverage receptacle makes it possible to restrict lateral movement of the food container relative to the beverage receptacle while being held therein.

In a preferred embodiment, the adapter is a structure erected from a one-piece paperboard blank incorporating all of the elongate strips and the bottom and top panels needed to erect the pedestal structure and provide at least one food container attachment flap at its top panel. The blank is a discrete component having a generally planar sheet construction which can be manually manipulated from a two dimensional format into a three dimensional structure which can be fitted snugly into a cylindrical shape-supporting beverage cup holder and can be used to stabilize a food tray attached upon the adapter, in order to minimize food spillage from the container. The adapter enables stable support and hands-free holding of food containers in existing beverage holders installed on-board vehicles, or in chairs, tables, locations adjacent to audience or spectator seats, or other locations.

In preferred embodiments, the adapter blank has a top panel including a plurality of lines of weakness foldable into upright positions which project upwardly from the remainder of the adapter and are receivable in a plurality of respective complementary grooves provided in the bottom of a food tray. The flaps and the grooves have complementary widths suitably sized to allow a frictional fit therebetween. The plurality of lines of weakness can extend generally parallel with one another across the top panel, or have other configurations on the top panel which are also useful to immobilize a food tray connected thereto. The line of weakness may be provided as a scored line, an intermittent cut line, or via other treatment of the top panel forming a discrete lineal hinged portion. The elongate strip panels may have a plurality of spaced-apart score lines extending generally perpendicular to lateral side edges thereof effective to facilitate curling of the elongate strips into an arced configuration.

In a further embodiment, packaged food products are provided which integrate a food container containing a food product together with the indicated adapter, such as in a kit format. The packaged food products may be stably held in cylindrical shape-supporting beverage receptacles via the erected adapter, which forms a self-supporting pedestal structure operable to be releasably seated in a cavity of a beverage receptacle to restrict movement of the food container relative to the receptacle and thus stabilize the food container in position over the receptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an adapter as a collapsed unitary blank in accordance with an embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 shows a partially erected adapter from the blank of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 3 shows a completely erected adapter from the blank of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a food tray adapted to attach the adapter of FIG. 3 in accordance with an embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 5 is a top front perspective exploded view of a packaged food product including an adapter/food tray assembly as suspended above a beverage container holder.

FIG. 6 is a top front perspective view of the packaged food product inserted in a beverage receptacle of the beverage container holder of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows a completely erected adapter from the blank of FIG. 1 in accordance with an alternative embodiment of this invention.

The features depicted in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Similarly numbered elements in different figures represent similar components unless indicated otherwise.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described below with specific reference to an adapter convenient for holding food containers in existing beverage container holders installed aboard vehicles or adjacent spectator/audience seating or leisure chairs or tables, and so forth, as well as packaged food products which integrate the cup adapter with a food container. In particular embodiments, the adapter enables meal or snack foods served in non-cylindrical, multi-sided containers to be stably held for consumption in existing beverage holders in an “on-the-go” manner in moving vehicles, or, alternatively, at public arenas or theaters and the like so that the consumer may enjoy the event while eating the food from the container in a hands-free manner.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, an adapter 300 for supporting a non-cylindrical, multi-sided food container over a beverage container receptacle according to one preferred embodiment is shown, which is erected from a unitary paperboard blank 100.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, the unitary paperboard blank 100 comprises an unfolded generally planar construction. The blank 100 includes, among other features, a first elongate strip panel 101 having a first medial portion 106, opposite first and second lateral side edges (108, 109), a first latching tongue 107 extending from a longitudinal end 1010 thereof, a first latching slit 103 adjacent an opposite longitudinal end 1011 thereof, and a second latching slit 105 adjacent the first lateral side edge 108 at the first medial portion 106.

A bottom panel 111 is foldably attached to the first medial portion 106 along the second lateral side edge 109 of the first elongate strip panel 101.

A second elongate strip panel 121 has a second medial portion 126, opposite third and fourth lateral side edges (128, 129), a second latching tongue 127 extending from a longitudinal end 1020 thereof, and a third latching slit 123 adjacent an opposite longitudinal end 1021 thereof. The bottom panel 111 is foldably attached to the second medial portion 126 along the third lateral side 128 of the second elongate strip panel 121.

The elongate strip panel 101 has a plurality of spaced-apart score lines 104 extending generally perpendicular to lateral side edges 108 and 109 thereof effective to facilitate curling of the elongate strips into an arced configuration. The elongate strip panel 121 has a plurality of spaced-apart score lines 124 extending generally perpendicular to lateral side edges 128 and 129 thereof effective to facilitate curling of the elongate strips into an arced configuration.

A top panel 131 is foldably attached to the second medial portion 126 along the fourth lateral side edge 129 of the second elongate strip panel 121, and a third latching tongue 137 extending from a side edge portion 138 of the top panel 131 opposite to where the top panel 131 is foldably attached to the second elongate strip panel 121.

In this illustration, two lines of weakness 134 and 136 in top panel 131 are provided defining respective foldable flaps 135 and 136 in the top panel 131. Each flap 135 and 136 is adapted to be folded into an upright position relative to an unfolded part 139 of the top panel 131. The lines of weakness 135 and 136 are scored lines, intermittent cut lines, or other treatment of the top panel forming a discrete lineal hinged portion in the panel. As illustrated, the plurality of lines of weakness 134 and 136 may extend generally parallel with one another. They also may be configured to form other configurations on top panel 131, such as t-shaped, v-shaped, etc. Also, a single flapped portion may be used, although it is preferred to define multiple flapped portions in top panel 131 to further ensure the immobilization of a food tray attached thereon.

Lines of weakness 1001, 1002 and 1003 also can be provided in blank 100 to facilitate forming hinged connections between the adjoining applicable sets of the elongate strip 101, bottom panel 111, elongate strip 121, and top panel 131.

Referring to FIG. 2, a partially erected adapter 200 is shown. Some, but not all, of the plurality of spaced-apart score lines 104 and 124 provided on elongate strip panels 101 and 121, respectively, are also shown. The first and second elongate strip panels 101 and 121 have been folded into an upright position relative to the bottom panel 111. The second latching tongue 127 is latched to the first latching slit 103. The first latching tongue 107 is latched to the third latching slit 123, where the tongue 107 is shown in hidden lines as it rests against the opposite outer wall of elongate strip 121.

Although the illustration of FIG. 3 has the latching tongues 127, 107 tucked outside the corresponding slits 103, 123, respectively, it will be appreciated that the tongues alternatively can be tucked inside the corresponding slits 103, 123 of the assembly (e.g., see FIG. 7).

In this illustration, the first latching tongue 107 on elongate strip 101 has a tab portion 1070 and a pronged distal end 1071. The tongue 107 also may have a T-shape or other configuration useful for insertion and latching to slit 123. The slit 123 in elongate strip 121 has a shape configured to allow the latching to tongue 107 to both be inserted therethrough and latched. For example, and as illustrated the slit 123 may comprise a u-shaped cut through the paperboard blank 100. The tab or neck portion 1070 of the tongue 107 is no wider than the width of the slit 123, and the pronged distal end 1071 of the first latching tongue 107 is wider than the u-shaped cut 123 sufficient that the distal end 1071 can latch the u-shaped cut 123 after insertion therethrough for interlocking the longitudinal ends 1010 and 1021 of the elongate strips 101 and 121, respectively. Latching tongue 127 on elongate strip 121 and slit 103 on elongate strip 101 have similar configurations for interlocking the opposite longitudinal ends 1011 and 1020 of the elongate strips 101 and 121, respectively. An intermediate self-supporting erected structure 200 thusly can be erected.

Referring to FIG. 3, the completely erected adapter 300 is shown. To fully erect the adapter 300 from the partly erected configuration 200 of FIG. 2, the top panel 131 is folded such that the third latching tongue 137 thereof can be latched to the second latching slit 105 of the first elongate strip panel 101. Latching tongue 137 on elongate strip 131 and slit 105 on elongate strip 101 have similar configurations suitable for interlocking the top panel 131 to elongate strip 101, as described above in connection with tongues 107 and 127 and slits 103 and 123.

Although the illustration of FIG. 3 shows the latching tongue 137 tucked outside the corresponding slit 105, it will be appreciated that the tongue alternatively can be tucked inside the corresponding slit 105 of the assembly (e.g., see FIG. 7).

Flaps 133 and 135 are folded into generally upright positions projecting away from unfolded part 139 of the top panel 131. A disc-shaped pedestal structure 301 is thusly provided from which the flaps 133 and 135 projecting upwardly. As indicated, each flap 133 and 135 can be conformably (frictionally) fitted into a complementary groove provided in the bottom of a food tray sufficient to restrict lateral movement of a food container attached thereto relative to a beverage receptacle to hold the tray in position. At least one such flap and complementary groove is needed to immobilize the food tray.

FIG. 4 shows the bottom 401 of food tray including grooves or recesses 403 and 404, and non-grooved generally planar portions 402. The grooves 403 and 404 are provided at preselected locations on the tray bottom 401 which can be mated with the flaps 133 and 135 of the adapter 300 effective to attach the tray 400 upon the adapter 300.

The unitary blank 100 can be conveniently packaged with food tray 400 in kit form. For example, the blank 100 can be releasably spot glued to a top or bottom of the food tray 400, and the associated tray and blank can then be packaged, such as by shrink wrapping. When a purchaser of the food product removes the outer wrap, the blank can be readily manually pried apart from the food tray as a free part that can be erected and attached into a groove or grooves on the bottom of the food tray as described herein. The resulting adapter/food container assembly is operable to be seated in a cylindrical shape-supporting cavity of a beverage container.

Referring to FIG. 5, a packaged food product 500 comprising the above-indicated adapter/food container assembly is shown comprising a food container or tray 501 containing a food product 503, and the adapter 300. In this illustration, the food container 501 is a non-cylindrical, multi-sided food container or tray. The tray 501 may be single-welled or multi-welled on its top side 504. The bottom side 502 of the food tray may correspond to the grooved bottom side 401 of the food container 400 shown in FIG. 4, which, at this juncture, has been further assembled with the adapter 300 via insertion of flaps 133 and 135 thereof into complementary tray bottom grooves (e.g., see FIG. 4, tray bottom grooves 403 and 405).

Referring still to FIG. 5, the packaged food product 500 is illustrated as suspended above a beverage container holder 510 having a generally planar support surface 512 having at least one receptacle 514 disposed therein which is defined by a cylindrical shaped sidewall 516 defining a cavity 518 having cylindrical or substantially cylindrical cross-section and a predetermined cavity diameter and depth.

In this illustration, the packaged food product 500 contains food pieces 503. The food product 503 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, cooked meat pieces (e.g., fried chicken pieces), vegetable pieces, fruit pieces, nachos, cheese, crackers, lunchmeat, confections, and combinations thereof.

The adapter 300 includes a self-supporting pedestal structure 301, such as indicated in FIG. 3 above, having a cross-section configured to be received and nest snugly in the beverage receptacle 514, and above-indicated upwardly projecting flaps 133 and 135 (not visible in this view) fitted into the above-indicated complementary grooves (not visible in this view) provided on the bottom 501 of food tray 502. In this non-limiting illustration, the food container 501 has a rectangular-shaped tray portion 507 in which the food product 503 has been placed. The tray portion 507 of food container 501 also could have other shapes, such as, for instance, square, hexagonal, circular, oval, etc. The pedestal structure 301 of adapter 300 is configured for insertion into beverage receptacle 514 of the beverage container holder 510 in the direction indicated by the arrow 509. The beverage receptacle 514 can be a typical or conventional beverage container holder.

Referring to FIG. 6, the pedestal structure 301 of the adapter 300 of packaged food product 500 has been inserted into cylindrical shape-supporting beverage container receptacle 514 effective to securely hold and stabilize the non-cylindrical, multi-sided tray 501. In particular, stability against lateral movement of the food tray 501 and its contents relative to the beverage receptacle 514 is provided. The adapter 300 allows the food container 501 to be releasably held in a stable position within the beverage holder or receptacle 514, as it also can be manually withdrawn and extracted from the beverage receptacle 514. The adapter 300 and food tray 501 can be constructed of recyclable easily disposable material, such as paperboard.

Cylindrical shape-supporting beverage holders and receptacles which can be adapted to support non-cylindrical, multi-sided containers or trays in accordance with embodiments herein include, e.g., those are commonly installed in vehicles, leisure chairs, and adjacent audience or spectator seats in various venues to hold a consumer's beverage cup, can, glass, bottle, etc.

While the invention has been particularly described with specific reference to particular process and product embodiments, it will be appreciated that various alterations, modifications and adaptations may be based on the present disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. 

1. An adapter comprising a self-supporting pedestal structure comprising bottom and top panels connected by an intermediate structure comprising a plurality of elongate strip panels joined at longitudinal ends thereof, wherein the top panel includes at least one flap which is adapted to be attached to a groove in a bottom of a food container, and wherein the pedestal structure is configured to be seated in a cylindrical shape-supporting cavity, and wherein the adapter is operable to restrict lateral movement of the food container relative to the beverage receptacle while being held therein.
 2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the adapter comprises a paperboard member.
 3. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the top panel includes a flaps foldable about lines of weakness into upright positions receivable in a plurality of respective grooves in the bottom of a food tray.
 4. The adapter of claim 3, wherein the plurality of lines of weakness extend generally parallel with one another.
 5. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the line of weakness is selected from the group consisting of a scored line and an intermittent cut line.
 6. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the elongate strip panels further have a plurality of spaced-apart score lines extending generally perpendicular to lateral side edges thereof effective to facilitate curling of the elongate strips into an arced configuration.
 7. An adapter for stably supporting a food container over a beverage container receptacle defining a cylindrical shape-supporting cavity, the adapter comprising: a unitary paperboard blank including: (A) a first elongate strip panel having a first medial portion, opposite first and second lateral side edges, a first latching tongue extending from a longitudinal end thereof, a first latching slit adjacent an opposite longitudinal end thereof, and a second latching slit adjacent the first lateral side edge at the first medial portion; (B) a bottom panel foldably attached to the first medial portion along the second lateral side edge of the first elongate strip panel; (C) a second elongate strip panel having a second medial portion, opposite third and fourth lateral side edges, a second latching tongue extending from a longitudinal end thereof, a third latching slit adjacent an opposite longitudinal end thereof, wherein the bottom panel is foldably attached to the second medial portion along the third lateral side of the second elongate strip panel; (D) a top panel foldably attached to the second medial portion along the fourth lateral side edge of the second elongate strip panel, a third latching tongue extending from a side edge of the top panel opposite to where the top panel is foldably attached to the second elongate strip panel, and at least one line of weakness defining a foldable flap in the top panel, wherein the flap is adapted to be folded into an upright position relative to an unfolded part of the top panel and is fittable into a complementary groove in the bottom of a food tray sufficient to restrict lateral movement of a food container attached thereto relative to a beverage receptacle to hold the tray in position; wherein the unitary blank is adapted to be erected into an adapter, wherein: (i) the first and second elongate strip panels are foldable in an upright position relative to the bottom panel; (ii) the first latching tongue is latchable to the third latching slit and the second latching tongue is latchable to the first latching slit; (iii) the top panel is positionable into a generally coplanar orientation to the bottom panel; (iv) the third latching tongue of the top panel is latchable to the second latching slit of the first elongate strip panel, wherein the resulting erected adapter is operable to be seated in a cylindrical shape-supporting cavity of a beverage container.
 8. The adapter of claim 7, wherein the first, second, and third latching tongues comprise a rectangular tab portion and a pronged distal end.
 9. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the first, second and third latching slits comprise a u-shaped cut through the paperboard.
 10. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the pronged distal end of the first latching tongue is wider than the u-shaped cut of the third latching portion sufficient that the distal end can latch the u-shaped cut after insertion therethrough.
 11. The adapter of claim 9, wherein the pronged distal end of the second latching tongue is wider than the unshaped cut of the first latching portion sufficient that the distal end can latch the u-shaped cut after insertion therethrough.
 12. The adapter of claim 9, wherein the pronged distal end of the third latching tongue is wider than the u-shaped cut of the second latching portion sufficient that the distal end can latch the u-shaped cut after insertion therethrough.
 13. The adapter of claim 7, wherein the adapter, as erected, has a general disc shape.
 14. A packaged food product comprising: (I) a food container containing a food product; and (II) an adapter comprising a self-supporting pedestal structure comprising bottom and top panels connected by an intermediate cylindrical structure comprising a plurality of elongate strip panels Joined at longitudinal ends thereof, wherein the top panel includes at least one flap foldable into an upright position which is adapted to be attached to a groove in a bottom of a food container, and wherein the pedestal structure is configured to be seated in a beverage container receptacle, wherein the adapter is operable to restrict lateral movement of the food container relative to the beverage container receptacle.
 15. The packaged food product of claim 14, wherein the food container has a generally rectangular bottom side.
 16. The packaged food product of claim 14, wherein the food product is selected from the group consisting of cooked meat pieces, vegetable pieces, fruit pieces, nachos, cheese, crackers, lunchmeat, confections, and combinations thereof.
 17. The packaged food product of claim 14, wherein the adapter comprises a paperboard member.
 18. The packaged food product of claim 14, wherein the top panel includes a plurality of lines of weakness foldable into upright positions receivable in respective grooves in the bottom of a food tray.
 19. The packaged food product of claim 14, wherein the adapter comprises a unitary paperboard blank including: (A) a first elongate strip panel having a first medial portion, opposite first and second lateral side edges, a first latching tongue extending from a longitudinal end thereof, a first latching slit adjacent an opposite longitudinal end thereof, and a second latching slit adjacent the first lateral side edge at the first medial portion; (B) a bottom panel foldably attached to the first medial portion along the second lateral side edge of the first elongate strip panel; (C) a second elongate strip panel having a second medial portion, opposite third and fourth lateral side edges, a second latching tongue extending from a longitudinal end thereof, a third latching slit adjacent an opposite longitudinal end thereof, wherein the bottom panel is foldably attached to the second medial portion along the third lateral side of the second elongate strip panel; (D) a top panel foldably attached to the second medial portion along the fourth lateral side edge of the second elongate strip panel, a third latching tongue extending from a side edge of the top panel opposite to where the top panel is foldably attached to the second elongate strip panel, and at least one line of weakness defining a foldable flap in the top panel, wherein the flap is adapted to be folded into an upright position relative to an unfolded part of the top panel and is fittable into a complementary groove in the bottom of a food tray sufficient to restrict lateral movement of a food container attached thereto relative to a beverage receptacle to hold the tray in position; wherein the unitary blank is adapted to be erected into an adapter, wherein: (i) the first and second elongate strip panels are foldable in an upright position relative to the bottom panel; (ii) the first latching tongue is latchable to the third latching slit and the second latching tongue is latchable to the first latching slit; (iii) the top panel is positionable into a generally coplanar orientation to the bottom panel; (iv) the third latching tongue of the top panel is latchable to the second latching slit of the first elongate strip panel, wherein the resulting erected adapter is operable to be seated in a cylindrical shape-supporting cavity of a beverage container.
 20. A method for stably supporting a food container over a beverage container receptacle, comprising: (A) providing an adapter comprising a self-supporting pedestal structure comprising bottom and top panels connected by an intermediate structure comprising a plurality of elongate strip panels joined at longitudinal ends thereof, wherein the top panel includes at least one flap folded into an upright position which is adapted to be attached to a complementary groove in a bottom of a food container, and wherein the pedestal structure is configured to be seated in a cylindrical shape-supporting cavity; (B) fitting the at least one folded top panel flap into a complementary groove in the bottom of a food container sufficient to attach the adapter to the food container; (C) seating the adapter in the beverage container receptacle, wherein lateral movement of the food container is restricted relative to the receptacle to hold the food container in position. 